Game board with integral dice-rolling pockets



Sept. 15, 1964 o. D. SHARP 3,148,886

GAME BOARD WITH INTEGRAL. DICE-ROLLING PocxE'rs Filed July 14, 1961 20 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0O 0 0 000 0 50 3800 00000000 Q 0 00000@ 0606 u 00 00% 0c 00 Ooooo ,Y

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Z 7 ATTORNEY GAME BOARD WITH INTEGRAL DICE-ROLLING POCKETS Filed Jly 14, 1961 O. D. SHARP Sept. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1/ 5/ J J1 2 l ,5 @lg 2 /5 @l lZ 5 4// f Z (|V|\ 6 8 2 i@ Z J/l @y @Jn 6 ,5 d l @QM 4/,. @JMW f x l2 2. Z 6 5 5 N /I A l@ ,Z .L

INVENTOR Olen Sdzf,

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,148,886 GAME EGARD WITH INTEGRAL DICE-ROLLDIG PUCKETS Olen D. Sharp, Box 349, Mount Carmel, Ill. Filed July 14, 1961, Ser. No. 124,054 2 Caims. (Cl. 273-136) This invention relates to a game of chance and skill and a molded plastic board therefor, and it consists in the combinations, construction and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a unitary game board of molded plastic material having a large flat raised central playing surface surrounded by trough-like marginal `depressions in and along which dice, providing the chance aspect of the game, may be rolled, conveniently restricted in their rolling to the area defined by the marginal depression immediately before each player.

The playing pieces are colored marbles which are moved along a sinuous common playing course defined by marble-sized hemispherical depressions molded into the playing surface. The game board has colored starting and home areas which match the marble colors of each player. The skill aspect of the game resides in selecting moves, within the limits dictated by sequential rolls of a players die, best calculated to move all his pieces home ahead of the other players.

It is an object of the present invention to providea game of the character described which is easy to understand and play.

It is another object of the invention to provide a gaine which creates and holds player interest by being fast moving and by combining chance -and skill factors to optimal degrees.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple, attractive, sturdy and economical game board molded of sheet material.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide, for a game employing dice, a board having elongated marginal pockets for limiting and confining the roll of a die to an area immediately before each player.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which;

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a die used to dictate the length of each players move,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective View of one players marble playing pieces,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, in section, taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE l,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modied form of board,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, in section, taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a further simplified form of game board, and

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view of the disclosure of FIGURE 7, in section, taken on line 8 8 of FIGURE 7.

With reference now to FIGURES 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawings, the numeral 11 generally designates a game board, which is herein disclosed as being molded from a single sheet of plastic material, although sheet metal or molded iberboard, etc., could be employed, if preferred.

The board 11 has a large flat elevated square central playing panel 12, bounded along each edge by a troughlike depression 13, 14, 15 or 16, one located in front of each player to serve as a roll limiting and confining area for each players die 17 (FIG. 4). The bottom panel ing description.

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The trough-like depressions 13 to 16,l inclusive, are l separated from each other by diagonal end partitions 20.' The depressions 13 to 16, inclusive, are surrounded by a continuous downturned peripheral flange 21 of the same vertical dimension as said depressions.

The playing surface 12 has four differently colored triangular areas 22 to25, inclusive, one for each player. Each of the areas 22 to 25 has live depressions 26 therein to hold live marbles 27 of matching color which are the players playing pieces. Areas 22 to 25 are the starting bases.

The circuitous playing course is defined by forty-eight hemispherical depressions or sockets 28 over which each mable must be moved from one of the starting sockets identified by colored arrows 32, 33, 34 and 35, which are given the same colors as the areas 22 to 25, respectively.

Four rows of sockets 36, 37, 38 and 39, five depressions to each row, are positioned to longitudinally bisect the arms of the cruciform pattern outlined by the sockets 28. Each of the rows 36 to 39 is encompassed by a differently colored strip-shaped area 42, 43, 44 or 45, the colors of which correspond, respectively, to the colors of the starting bases 22 to 25 and the starting Socket arrows 32 to 35, and thus identify by matching colors the home bases for the players using marbles of their respective colors.

Thus a player seated before home base 42, which if, for example, is red, would place five red marbles on the red starng base 22. If each player has a separate die, this players would desirably also be red.

'I'he playing rules can best be summarized by a play- All players roll one die each and the highest number has the first play. A tie is broken. by one or more rolls by the ILied players. If the lirst player rolls a one or a six he can bring out a piece onto his star-ting socket (his colored arrow). A six, or subsequent sixes, entitles the player Vto ano-ther free roll. The turn then passes clockwise to the next player who must roll a one or a six to bring out a piece.

When a player has two or more pieces in play, he may choose which one he will move the number olf spaces dictated by the spots called for by his rolled die. A player may pass an opponents piece but may not pass his own pieces or land on a spot occupied thereby. If a players piece can land on a spot occupied by an opponents piece, the latter can thereby be sent back to the opponents stanting base. When a players pieceV has been moved completely around the board and into the home base, it is safe from further attack.

In the species of FIGURES 5 and 6, a board 51 differs from the board 11 of FIGURES 1 and 4 only in the substitution of a plurality of transverse ribs 52 for the tread 19 of FIGURES l and 4. The other parts are designated by primed numerals corresponding to counterparts designated yby the same uuprimed numerals in FIG- socket portions 73, which have the same spatial and pat-k tern arrangements' as the sockets of the previously described species. A starting base 74, home bases and a starting arrow 76 are positioned and colored as in the other species.

While but three forms of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modi'cations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A board for a game of chance and sleill utilizing dice, comprising: a panel denin'g a horizontally disposed playing surfacehaving a plurality of circumferentially symmetrically d-isposed players positions', andintegral extensions of said panel deining circumferentially extending relatively deep and narrow pockets, one disposed in front of each player to limit and conne the roll of said players die in-said pocket', said pockets being further dened by radially extending vertically disposed Wall portions at the ends of and between adjacent pockets, said pockets having'- tread portions formed in the bottoms thereof to induce rolling of a die therealong.

2. A board for a game of chance and skill utilizing dice, comprising: a panel defining a horizontally disposed' playing surface having a plurality of circumferenleially symmetrically disposed players positions, and integral extensions o said panel dening oircumrferentially extending relative deep and narrow pockets, one disposed in front of each player to limit and conne the roll of said players die in said pocket, said pockets being further deiined by radially extending vertically disposed Wall portions at the ends of and between adjacent pockets, said pockets having raised transverse ribs on their bottoms to induce rolling of a die imping-ing thereagainst.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 885,630 Mason Apr. 21, 1908 1,760,642 Graham May 27, 1930 2,104,375 Perry Jan. 4, 1938 2,719,717 Verity Oct. 4, 1955 2,786,681 Ellett Mar. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,676 Great Braam 190s 25,962 Great Britain 1908 124,095 Germany Aug. 10, 1931 

1. A BOARD FOR A GAME OF CHANCE AND SKILL UTILIZING DICE, COMPRISING: A PANEL DEFINING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PLAYING SURFACE HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED PLAYERS'' POSITIONS, AND INTEGRAL EXTENSIONS OF SAID PANEL DEFINING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING RELATIVELY DEEP AND NARROW POCKETS, ONE DISPOSED IN FRONT OF EACH PLAYER TO LIMIT AND CONFINE THE ROLL OF SAID PLAYER''S DIE IN SAID POCKET, SAID POCKETS BEING FURTHER DEFINED BY RADIALLY EXTENDING VERTICALLY DISPOSED WALL PORTIONS AT THE ENDS OF AND BETWEEN ADJACENT POCKETS, SAID POCKETS HAVING TREAD PORTIONS FORMED IN THE BOTTOMS THEREOF TO INDUCE ROLLING OF A DIE THEREALONG. 